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February Penguins' Prospects Update: Goaltenders

We're now beyond the halfway point of the 2025-26 season, and it's been a good one for a lot of Pittsburgh Penguins' prospects so far.

GM/POHO Kyle Dubas has managed to infuse the Penguins' organization with a lot of promising talent in the last two-plus years by acquiring prospects and accruing draft capital, and the Penguins' enhanced development staff has also helped young players already in the organization begin to find potential paths to the NHL.

And the Penguins' goaltending depth only continues to impress - and continues to get deeper and deeper. In fact - in addition to Sergei Murashov, who has already turned heads at various points this season - they may just have another goaltender to keep a keen eye on in their system.

Here is our February Penguins' prospects update for goaltenders:

Sergei Murashov

It's hard to believe that a guy boasting a .924 save percentage at the AHL level this season actually saw a stretch of struggle this season. 

Well, Murashov has struggled for a few very small stretches this season - enough to dethrone him of the AHL's top save percentage and goals-against average. In late October and late November - sandwiching a brief NHL stint - there was a four-game stretch where, in three of those four games, he had a sub-.895 save percentage. At the turn of the New Year, Murashov had two consecutive appearances where he was pulled and allowed five goals in each game.

But, other than that, he's been lights-out. Murashov is still third in the AHL in both goals-against average (2.11) and save percentage, and he is also 7-1 with a .925 save percentage in his last eight appearances. He is still - more than likely - the first guy the Penguins will call on if needed, and he is still the best goaltending prospect in the Penguins' system. 

Avery Hayes Nets Hat Trick In First Game Back With Wilkes-Barre/ScrantonAvery Hayes Nets Hat Trick In First Game Back With Wilkes-Barre/ScrantonAvery Hayes continued his excellent week with a hat trick on Saturday.

Joel Blomqvist

After missing the first month of the season due to a lower-body injury sustained during training camp, Blomqvist, 24, got off to a good start this season. In his first nine appearances, he put together a .929 save percentage to go along with a 5-2-2 record to close out the calendar year of 2025.

However, he's struggled a bit since then. In his last six appearances, he's put up an .878 save percentage and a 3.17 goals-against average, which puts his season save percentage at .916 and his record at 8-4-3-1.

Of course, the overall numbers are still good, and he is playing in a bit of a backup role behind Murashov, who has seen the majority of the starts. The Penguins are still high on Blomqvist, and his performance against Murashov's for the rest of the season could help determine who has the inside track to a potential NHL roster spot for 2026-27.

'I'm Not Bad. At All': Penguins' Players Weigh In On Summer Olympic Chances'I'm Not Bad. At All': Penguins' Players Weigh In On Summer Olympic ChancesPittsburgh Penguins' players talk about which Summer Olympic sports they think they can compete in.

Taylor Gauthier

Gauthier didn't appear in a game this season until Dec. 6, as the injury bug plagued him again to begin the season - just like his start to 2024-25. 

But - just like last season - that did not deter him at all. In fact, the 25-year-old netminder is putting together the best season of his career up to this point for the Wheeling Nailers of the ECHL.

Across 15 appearances this season, Gauthier boasts an 8-4-3 record with a .937 save percentage and a 1.81 goals-against average. This includes a remarkable performance on Feb. 4 against the Fort Wayne Comets in which he stopped 53 of 55 Comets' shots en route to a 3-2 overtime victory for the Nailers. 

Dubas has talked about how he wants the Penguins' ECHL affiliate to be a legitimate developmental step for players with an NHL future, and the foundation seems to have been laid there. Gauthier has put together three very impressive seasons in a row for Wheeling, and he has gotten it done in his AHL minutes so far as well. 

As good as Murashov and Blomqvist have been, don't discount Gauthier as a legitimate option for the Penguins somewhere down the line. The biggest thing working against him right now is the fact that the two guys in front of him have been outstanding, too, leaving little opportunity for him to see starting minutes at the AHL level. That could change as soon as next season, should one of the other two make the NHL roster.

Maxim Pavlenko

Pavlenko, 23, signed with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (WBS) Penguins on a one-year contract this season, and the netminder from Kazakhstan hasn't seen as much playing time since Gauthier came back into the fold. 

The 6-foot-5, 205-pound goaltender still has a save percentage north of .900 at .901, and his season started off well enough. But it has been a bit of a mixed bag since the start of the calendar year, as he had shutouts on Jan. 10 and Feb. 7 but struggled in the three starts in between, posting a .759 save percentage in those three appearances. 

It's also worth noting that Pavlenko appeared in four games at the AHL level earlier this season, going 3-1 with a .912 save percentage - including a shutout. 

If he can find a bit more consistency, he could be a legitimate depth option for the Penguins in their system. He moves well for a goaltender his size and occupies a lot of space in net, and his play at the international level gives some reason for optimism.

Penguins Defenseman Erik Karlsson Named Alternate Captain For SwedenPenguins Defenseman Erik Karlsson Named Alternate Captain For SwedenErik Karlsson has been named an alternate captain for Team Sweden.

Gabriel D'Aigle

You may have heard at this point that the numbers don't tell the story for D'Aigle, whose Victoriaville Tigres have allowed a QMJHL-high 1,245 shots against, a similar story to last season. 

Well, he's also made the most saves in the QMJHL with 1,129, and his .907 save percentage is still ninth in the league, even though he's ninth in the league in terms of minutes for goaltenders. This stuff alone kind of show that there may be more to D'Aigle than what appears to be through a mere stat line.

But it goes beyond that. Jesse Marshall of Faceoff Factor did a fantastic breakdown of the season D'Aigle is having, showing how the Penguins' 84th overall pick in 2025 is under constant siege in every appearance and still manages to make 10-bell save after 10-bell save.

D'Aigle is not only big at 6-foot-4, 213 pounds, he's also very quick and very athletic. Marshall's breakdown covers all of that, so be sure to check it out here.

This guy may be one to keep an eye on. Once he is in a more stable environment - and not in one where most goaltenders would probably look a whole lot worse - those numbers could look much, much better if he can put everything together. 

Notable: G Filip Larsson cleared waivers for the purpose of contract termination and is now a free agent

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Yankees news: Headlines to watch as camp opens up

BALTIMORE, MD - SEPTEMBER 21: Ben Rice #22 of the New York Yankees in position during a baseball game against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on September 21, 2025 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images) | Getty Images

NY Daily News | Gary Phillips ($): Yankees pitchers and catchers officially report to spring training on Wednesday, bringing with them the end of the offseason at long last. It was a drawn-out winter as the Yankees mostly held serve and retained key parts of their roster, but the few new faces that were brought in could be interesting to watch. Ryan Weathers will get a shot out of the rotation right away with half of the regular roster still nursing injuries, and the health of said rotation will be monitored closely as something always comes up, and they cannot afford any big blows to come early in the process.

NY Post | Greg Joyce: Ben Rice is one of the Yankees’ more versatile defensive pieces, being able to catch as well as man first base, but up until a few days ago the tools of ignorance were going to be used in emergency situations at most. Now that Paul Goldschmidt is back in the fold as a platoon bat at first, however, manager Aaron Boone sees Rice getting a bit more play behind the plate as he can fill in for Austin Wells against left-handed pitchers. The plan is still for Rice to get plenty of time against lefties this season, as the team is hopeful that their promising young star will get a full breakout this season.

FanGraphs | David Laurila: Yankees broadcaster David Cone sat down for an interview last season where he had to guess which player he had the most appearances against, who he struck out the most, who hit the most bombs on him, etc., and then give his thoughts on the actual answers. Cone had a fairly good memory, coming close on a few categories, and his anecdotes were a neat look into the playing days of a fan favorite.

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Bucks Roster, Salaries, Cap Space, Luxury Tax Bill, Available Draft Picks, and more

You love NBA free agency and trades. I love NBA free agency and trades. We all do. Sickos like me love it so much that we delve into legal documents to figure out exactly what is permitted and what isn’t. But all of us want all the information about the team-building options available to our favorite franchises at our fingertips whenever we need them.

With that in mind, SB Nation has partnered with SalarySwish, and alongside their data we attempt to answer every single question you could possibly have about the Bucks’ financial situation. Questions about the first or second apron and the Bucks’ relationship to them? How few draft picks do they have available to trade? How much money is on the books after next summer? The answers are here, and it’s an updating, living, and breathing document with all relevant context as the Bucks move ahead. I recommend you bookmark this page to keep up with all the latest changes!

Bucks Roster, Salaries, Draft Picks, Cap Space & More

Here is a table with all of the Bucks’ salary information, courtesy of our friends at SalarySwish:

That’s a lot to swallow, so let’s dive into a few key pieces and what they mean, which could answer any questions that pop into your head while reading.

Do the Bucks have any cap room? If not, when will they?

No, though they did create some last July to accommodate the four-year, $108.9m contract for Myles Turner by waiving Damian Lillard, among other moves. If every Buck with a player option in the summer of 2026 declines them (unlikely), the team could potentially create cap room by renouncing these players’ rights (even more unlikely), but it wouldn’t be enough to sign a player for more than $3m. Barring that, they project to have room in the summer of 2027, when their only guaranteed contracts will be for Turner, AJ Green, Giannis, Ryan Rollins, and Bobby Portis—should the latter three exercise their player options—plus potentially the player they take in the first round of the 2026 NBA Draft. But it would likely not be more than $20m in space.

Can the Bucks use the mid-level exception or bi-annual exception this year? Do they have any trade exceptions?

Since the Bucks conjured up some cap room to sign Turner, they lost the right to use the full $14.1m mid-level exception and the $5.1m bi-annual exception. Instead, they had access to a version of the MLE worth $8.8m, commonly known as the room exception. They used part of that exception to sign Kevin Porter Jr. to a new deal worth $5.1m, so they have about $3.6m remaining on it for the remainder of the league year, but the number begins prorating down in January. Milwaukee previously had four trade exceptions, all of which would have expired in February 2026, including one for $7.2m generated in February’s trade with Washington and New York. However, creating cap space also sacrificed those.

Are the Bucks over the first or second apron above the luxury tax?

For 2025–26, they are currently $11.8m beneath the first apron and $23.7m beneath the second apron, so they face none of the restrictions associated with being above either. The Bucks have $181.3m guaranteed for 15 players, including Lillard’s stretched salary at $22.5m (this will be reduced to $20.2m due to his new contract in Portland, but not until season’s end), Vasilije Micić’s stretched salary of $667k after he too was bought out, plus $6.3m in dead money due to waiving Chris Livingston, Tyler Smith, and Nigel Hayes-Davis. They are currently operating as an over-the-cap team, facing all the restrictions that come with having no remaining cap space. In 2024–25, they finished about $7.8m over the first apron but about $3m under the second apron, where they were hard-capped.

Are the Bucks paying the luxury tax? If so, how much is their bill?

In 2025–26, their $181.3m currently on the books leaves them $6.5m below the $187.9m tax threshold. Reports indicate that ownership doesn’t want to pay the tax this season, but the bill isn’t calculated until the day the regular season ends next April. It is essentially impossible for them to add enough salary during the remainder of the season to cross the tax line.

Will the Bucks be beneath the first or second apron next year?

Doing so would mean that Milwaukee would become a taxpayer again in 2026–27. If a team pays the tax in three of any four consecutive seasons, they are subject to more punitive repeater penalties. Should they remain below the tax threshold again in 2026–27, they would then reset that clock and could finish above it in 2027–28 without facing those penalties, since at that point, they would have only paid luxury tax in two of the prior four seasons (2024–25 included). So it seems likely that they will avoid being taxpayers in 2026–27, and thus not contend with either apron.

Are the Bucks hard-capped?

Yes. At the deadline, the Bucks traded away about $4.6m worth of salary in the form of Cole Anthony and Amir Coffey, receiving the combined salaries of Ousmane Dieng and Nigel Hayes-Davis in return, about $8.7m. Using Anthony and Coffey’s salaries to take back more money in return triggers a hard cap at the first apron. This means their “apron salary” (all guaranteed money plus any unlikely benefits written into contracts) cannot cross $195.9m under any circumstances. You can read more here about what causes teams to become hard-capped.

What draft picks can the Bucks currently trade?

The Bucks may trade their own first-round picks in the 2031 and 2032 NBA Drafts, but no others. If one of those two is traded, the other could only be dealt as a pick swap, since the NBA’s Stepien rule prevents teams from going without a first in consecutive drafts. While they control firsts in the 2026, 2028, and 2030 drafts, meaning they will be able to draft a player in those years, the selections themselves are encumbered by swaps. They therefore cannot be traded, only re-swapped, as occurred in last February’s Khris Middleton-Kyle Kuzma deal. The only second-round pick the Bucks currently possess and can trade is Utah’s top-55 protected 2026 second.

If you found this page useful, please bookmark and/or share it, and if you have any questions or information you’d like to see included, let us know in the comments below!

Updated February 14, 2026.

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Jose Alvarado immediately impacts Knicks in debut win over Celtics

Jose Alvarado made the most of his first game with the Knicks.

He scored 12 points on 5-of-12 shooting, including a 2-for-6 clip from deep, over 25 minutes off the bench in Sunday's 111-89 win over the Celtics in Boston.

"He was great," New York captain and star guard Jalen Brunson said. "The impact he had on the game right away was amazing, it's what we needed and just happy to see him wearing the blue and orange."

Alvarado added two steals and a block as the Knicks (34-19) made a statement against the Celtics (34-19) on the road.

"That's him,"  New York wing Josh Hart said of Alvarado, whom he played alongside during his time with the New Orleans Pelicans from 2021-22 when Alvarado was a rookie. "You know he'll be a really good on-ball defender, take the challenge, a great secondary ballhandler for us, be able to play-make, in the paint and pressure, so what you got from today is the player you'll get."

The Knicks landed Alvarado from New Orleans in a trade before this past Thursday's deadline.

"He brings a level of toughness to this team, his energy is unmatched," New York head coach Mike Brownsaid before Sunday's game. "What he can do defensively in the full court and even in the front court with the ball especially on the pick-and-rolls and stuff, is at a pretty high level.

"He shoots it better than people think, too. We want to play fast and we believe he's a guy who will come in and push the pace, get into our offense, and all of that because he’s quick and has a low center of gravity -- excited to have him."

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Monday's Time Schedule

All Times EST

Monday, Feb. 9

NBA

Detroit at Charlotte, 7 p.m.

Chicago at Brooklyn, 7:30 p.m.

Milwaukee at Orlando, 7:30 p.m.

Utah at Miami, 7:30 p.m.

Atlanta at Minnesota, 8 p.m.

Sacramento at New Orleans, 8 p.m.

Cleveland at Denver, 9 p.m.

Memphis at Golden State, 10 p.m.

Oklahoma City at L.A. Lakers, 10 p.m.

Philadelphia at Portland, 10 p.m.

T25 MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL

No. 1 Arizona at No. 11 Kansas, 9 p.m.

No. 22 St. John's vs. Xavier, 6:30 p.m.

No. 24 Louisville vs. NC State, 7 p.m.

T25 WOMEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL

No. 4 Texas vs. No. 16 Kentucky, 7:30 p.m.

No. 7 Vanderbilt vs. No. 11 Oklahoma, 9 p.m.

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Cavs at Nuggets: How to watch, odds, and injury report

DENVER, COLORADO - DECEMBER 27: Donovan Mitchell #45 of the Cleveland Cavaliers drives against Christian Braun #0 of the Denver Nuggets in the third quarter at Ball Arena on December 27, 2024 in Denver, Colorado. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images) | Getty Images

The Cleveland Cavaliers finish off their five-game Western Conference road trip as they take on Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets.

This will be a fun test for the new look Cavs. It’ll be interesting to see how James Harden attacks Jokic — who is a better rim defender than he gets credit for — in the pick-and-roll. Jokic usually doesn’t want to guard in space. We’ll see if the Cavs can exploit that.

On the other end, Jarrett Allen will have his hands full against the best player in the league and won’t have a lot of help. Evan Mobley (calf) has been ruled out for this game, and both Dean Wade (ankle) and Jaylon Tyson (ankle) are questionable to participate.

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Who: Cleveland Cavaliers (32-21) at Denver Nuggets (34-19)

Where: Ball Arena – Denver, CO

When: Mon., Feb. 9 at 9 PM

TV: FanDuel Sports Network Ohio, FanDuel Sports Network App, NBA League Pass

Point spread: Cavs -1.5

Cavs injury report: Dean Wade – QUESTIONABLE (ankle), Evan Mobley – OUT (calf), Jaylon Tyson – QUESTIONABLE (ankle), Max Strus – OUT (foot), Emanuel Miller – OUT (G League)

Nuggets injury report: Jamal Murray – QUESTIONABLE (hip), Peyton Watson – OUT (hamstring), Tamar Bates – OUT (foot), Christian Bruan – PROBABLE (ankle), Aaron Gordon – OUT (hamstring), Nikola Jokic – PROBABLE (ankle), Curtis Jones – OUT (G League), Spencer Jones – OUT (concussion)

Cavs expectedstarting lineup: James Harden, Donovan Mitchell, Sam Merrill, Nae’Qwan Tomllin, Jarrett Allen

Nuggets expected starting lineup: Jamal Murray, Christian Braun, Julian Strawther, Cameron Johnson, Nikola Jokic

Previous matchup: The Cavs defeated the Nuggets without Jokic 113-108 in January

Here’s a look at both teams’ impact stats via Cleaning the Glass.

Offensive RatingDefensive RatingNet Rating
Cavs117.7 (7th)114.1 (11th)+3.6 (9th)
Nuggets122 (1st)118.1 (22nd)+3.9 (8th)

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Mohamed Diawara became Knicks’ Jaylen Brown stopper in latest opportunity

Jaylen Brown of the Boston Celtics drives to the basket against Mohamed Diawara of the New York Knicks.
Mohamed Diawara guards Jaylen Brown during the Knicks-Celtics game on Feb. 8, 2026.

BOSTON — Mohamed Diawara picked up the slack for an absent OG Anunoby.

With Anunoby sidelined for a second straight game because of a sore toe, Diawara became the Jaylen Brown stopper in the second half of Sunday’s 111-89 Knicks victory over the Celtics. 

It earned Diawara, the second-round rookie, his first defensive player of the game award, which is given by the Knicks coaching staff after victories. 

Mohamed Diawara guards Jaylen Brown during the Knicks-Celtics game on Feb. 8, 2026. NBAE via Getty Images

“You get a guy like Jaylen Brown who is a heck of a player. In the first half he was having his way with us a little bit. He was 6-for-11, he was rolling,” coach Mike Brown said. “In the second half, we did a better job defensively as a team. I got to give Mo some credit. Mo was our defensive player of the game. We threw Mo on him for a little bit. We thought we’re going to try to make Jaylen work, be physical, get up into him, stuff like that, and he did it without fouling. He did a nice job with it. So to see that from a young guy at this point in his career was a lot of fun as a staff.”

In addition to his defensive prowess, Diawara was perfect from the field — 4-for-4 overall, 2-for-2 from deep — while scoring 10 points.

The Knicks outscored Boston by 22 points in Diawara’s 27 minutes. 

“I think the beginning of the year, training camp, everybody was like, ‘He’s gonna be good,’ ” Josh Hart said. “And I think with him, it was just more about getting more comfortable, more experience, more minutes, those kinds of things.

“But he’s gonna be extremely good. He’s extremely talented, defensively he can be all over the place but offensively he’s knocking down shots.”

Karl-Anthony Towns returned from a one-game absence for a laceration above his eye.

Karl-Anthony Towns wore goggles for the first time in his career. Getty Images

The Knicks center said the cut — which occurred in last week’s double-overtime victory over the Nuggets — required 16 stitches. 

Towns also wore goggles for the first time in his career, revealing the black-rimmed set is the same model used by Amar’e Stoudemire — and still stored by the Knicks.

But they didn’t last long. 

Towns removed the goggles in the second half. He also struggled with just 11 points on 3-for-9 shooting, including no 3-pointers and three turnovers. 

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Cavs add another forward to injury report for matchup with Nuggets

CLEVELAND, OH - OCTOBER 14: Jaylon Tyson #20 and Dean Wade #32 of the Cleveland Cavaliers high five during the game against the Detroit Pistons during Preseason on October 14, 2025 at Rocket Arena in Cleveland, Ohio. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2025 NBAE (Photo by David Liam Kyle/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images

The Cleveland Cavaliers will conclude their five-game, Western Conference road trip against the Denver Nuggets on Monday evening at less than 100%. If you’re going against a team with Nikola Jokic, you would ideally like to have your entire front court available for that matchup. Unfortunately for the Cavs, that won’t be possible.

Cleveland will be without the services of Evan Mobley. He’ll be missing his sixth game in a row with a calf strain he sustained in the team’s Jan. 26 win over the Orlando Magic.

The Cavs might also be without Dean Wade and Jaylon Tyson. Both are questionable for Monday’s game.

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Wade missed Friday’s win against the Sacramento Kings with a left ankle sprain. He last played on Wednesday against the Los Angeles Clippers.

On the season, Wade is averaging 5.8 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 1.6 assists per game on .417/.340/.750 shooting splits.

Tyson is the new addition to the injury report. He’s also questionable with a left ankle sprain.

Tyson struggled as the de facto starting power forward against the Kings. He seemed hesitant at times playing alongside James Harden, and wasn’t able to get his shot to fall. He finished that game with 10 points on 3-8 shooting with six rebounds and no assists.

The Cavs will likely turn to Nae’Qwan Tomlin as the starting four if neither can go. Their absence would also open the door for increased minutes for Thomas Bryant and Keon Ellis.

Denver could also be down several key pieces.

The Nuggets will be without the services of Aaron Gordon (hamstring) and Peyton Watson (hamstring). Jamal Murray (hip) is questionable for the game. Jokic (ankle) and Christian Bruan (ankle) are probable to play.

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Atlanta Braves News: Ronald Acuna Jr., Pitchers and Catchers, More

ATLANTA, GA - SEPTEMBER 28: Ronald Acuña Jr. #13 of the Atlanta Braves poses for a photo before the game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Truist Park on September 28, 2025 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin D. Liles/Atlanta Braves/Getty Images) | Getty Images

The Super Bowl was pretty fun. And a certain Brave had a pretty good view of both the game and the half time show. While Ronald Acuna Jr. likely had fun seeing football up close, you know that he and his teammates are ready for later this week as Spring Training gets under way.

Pitchers and Catchers will report today and tomorrow, while the rest of the team will stroll in as the week progresses. We are less than two weeks away from the Braves first Spring Training game, so you know everyone is ready to get to Florida and get to work in anticipation of the season.

Braves News

MLB.com is having a bit of fun with some predictions. This time, they look at some potential World Series showdowns, including a 2021 rematch between the Braves and Astros.

MLB News

It currently seems the most wanted person in MLB is Issac Parades of the Astros, with several teams interested.

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Pryor, Janneh deliver for Texas A&M women in 72-69 upset victory over No. 21 Alabama

COLLEGE STATION, Texas (AP) — Ny'Ceara Pryor scored 20 points with two clutch free throws late, Fatmata Janneh added a double-double and Texas A&M upset No. 21 Alabama 72-69 on Sunday to snap a six-game losing streak.

Jessica Timmons had a three-point play to give Alabama a 57-53 lead with 9:34 remaining. Lemyah Hylton hit a 3-pointer and Lauren Ware added a layup to cap a 10-0 run as Texas A&M moved in front 63-57. Timmons did all the scoring in a 7-0 spurt and the Crimson Tide moved ahead 64-63 at 4:11.

Alabama’s Essence Cody was called for a flagrant-1 technical, fouling out with 3:03 left. Ace Austin, who was fouled by Ware prior to the technical, made 1 of 2 free throws before Salese Blow sank two for the technical and the Aggies led 67-65. Pryor and Naomi Jones traded baskets before Janneh made 1 of 2 foul shots for a three-point lead with 21 seconds remaining.

Karly Weathers scored nine seconds later, but Pryor hit two foul shots and Ware blocked a 3-pointer at the other end to preserve the upset.

Pryor added seven assists, six rebounds and four steals for the Aggies (9-10, 2-8 Southeastern Conference). Janneh had 12 points and 15 rebounds, while Ware scored 13.

Timmons totaled 19 points and eight rebounds to pace the Crimson Tide (20-5, 7-5). Ta'Mia Scott added 18 points and Cody scored 13 with seven rebounds.

Ware scored six to help Texas A&M take a 14-12 lead after one quarter.

Ware, who had 10 points by halftime, scored on a layup in the final minute and Janneh had a three-point play with two seconds left to give Texas A&M a 34-29 lead at the break.

Scott hit her fourth 3-pointer as the buzzer sounded in the third quarter to give the Tide a one-point lead.

Up next

Texas A&M: At No. 16 Kentucky on Thursday.

Alabama: Hosts No. 11 Oklahoma on Sunday.

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Milwaukee Bucks sign former Brooklyn Nets guard Cam Thomas

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Cam Thomas has signed with Milwaukee after getting waived by the Brooklyn Nets, the Bucks announced on Sunday.

The 24-year-old guard had spent his entire career with the Nets, who selected him out of LSU with the 27th overall pick in the 2021 draft.

Thomas averaged 15.6 points, 3.1 assists, 1.8 rebounds and 24.3 minutes in 24 games with Brooklyn this season. He had missed about seven weeks with a left hamstring strain but returned on Dec. 27.

Hamstring issues also limited Thomas to 25 games last season, though he scored 24 points per game when available. Thomas, who is 6-foot-3, averaged 22.5 points and played 66 games in 2023-24.

Thomas is shooting a career-low 39.9% overall this season, and he’s made 32.5% of his 3-point attempts. He has shot 43.5% overall and 34.3% from 3-point range in 239 career games, including 88 starts.

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AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA

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Paul Goldschmidt’s Yankees return ‘complicates’ Ben Rice’s everyday role

An image collage containing 2 images, Image 1 shows New York Yankees catcher Ben Rice #22 reacts after making a throwing error against the Boston Red Sox, Image 2 shows New York Yankees first baseman Paul Goldschmidt playing in the fourth inning

TAMPA — Ben Rice may not want to lose his catcher’s gear just yet.

While the emerging slugger is still slated to be the regular Yankees first baseman this season, the re-signing of Paul Goldschmidt as a veteran backup could also lead to a few more starts behind the plate for Rice, according to manager Aaron Boone.

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“I don’t anticipate it affecting Rice because we think Rice is a star and we think he’s going to mash in the middle of the lineup for a long time,” Boone said Sunday on MLB Network Radio on Sirius XM.

“Before we signed Goldy back, I was thinking Rice is truly our third catcher [behind Austin Wells and J.C. Escarra]. Protect you late in the game if you make an aggressive move with the bench or whatever, you got that coverage. Now, it probably pushes him a little more into — I don’t expect a lot — but somewhat more of a catching role. There’s tough lefty days, we’re going to want Goldy in there, we could put Ben behind the plate because we feel he’s going to hold his own too against lefties. 

“So it complicates it there a little bit, but to finish off our roster with a really good player [in Goldschmidt], we felt like we had to do it.”

Paul Goldschmidt playing first base against the Athletics. JASON SZENES/NY POST

Boone acknowledged that Goldschmidt “wasn’t necessarily the perfect fit” — a right-handed hitting outfielder would have been more useful given the composition of their projected roster — but the Yankees opted to go for what they felt was the best player available in free agency to help balance out their left-handed lean.

Goldschmidt crushed left-handed pitching last season, posting a .981 OPS, though the Yankees have said they want to let the lefty-hitting Rice — who started 46 games at first base, 26 at catcher and 48 at DH in 2025 — face his fair share of lefties this year as well.

While the signing of Goldschmidt to a one-year, $4 million deal, as The Post’s Jon Heyman reported, should not affect Rice’s overall playing time, it could have some ripple effects down the rest of the roster, particularly with how the Yankees make up their bench.

If everyone stays healthy through spring training, the Yankees bench will likely include Goldschmidt, Amed Rosario and two of Escarra, Oswaldo Cabrera and Jasson Domínguez.

Yankees catcher Ben Rice #22 reacts against the Red Sox. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post

Escarra still projects as the true backup catcher, though depending on how often the Yankees would play Rice there, that could change.

Cabrera and Domínguez are both switch-hitters who are better from the left side, though the Yankees may need Cabrera more as a backup shortstop to José Caballero (since they did not seem comfortable playing Rosario there last season).

Boone, meanwhile, indicated that a strict bench role was unlikely for Domínguez (and top outfield prospect Spencer Jones).

“Probably not in either situation a case where we’d want them as bench pieces — that doesn’t mean there’s not a scenario where they’re part of a true rotation where there’s real regular playing time,” Boone said. “But there’s a lot to still happen between now and when we break camp in late March.” 

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NBA All-Star Weekend: Bobby Portis named as participant in three-point contest

Jan 19, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Milwaukee Bucks forward Bobby Portis (9) celebrates a three point shot against the Atlanta Hawks during the fourth quarter at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Godfree-Imagn Images | Jordan Godfree-Imagn Images

Looks like Giannis isn’t the only Milwaukee Bucks player who will take part in All-Star Weekend. Bobby Portis was announced as one of the eight players who will take part in this season’s three-point contest. This is the first time in his 11-year career that Portis will participate in an All-Star event. It’s the third straight year the Bucks have had at least one player in the three-point shootout, with Damian Lillard (2024, 2025) and Malik Beasley (2024) also participating for Milwaukee. The remaining competitors include Donovan Mitchell, Tyrese Maxey, Jamal Murray, Norman Powell, Devin Booker, and Kon Knueppel.

Portis is having one of his best seasons shooting from behind the arc, hitting 45.1% on 4.3 attempts per game. That mark puts him in a virtual three-way tie for fifth place in 3P% with Sam Merrill and Ayo Dosunmu. He’s also tied for seventh for three-point shooting in a single season in Bucks franchise history. It ranks as his second-highest career percentage, as he shot 47.1% in his first season with the Bucks.

Speaking of Lillard, he’s set to make his return to the court in the competition as well. Despite not playing at all this season due to a torn Achilles, Lillard is looking to add another three-point title to his extensive resume. Dame won back-to-back competitions in 2023 and 2024, the latter of which he won while in Milwaukee.

For those who don’t remember how the event goes, the NBA explained it in their press release about this year’s participants:

In the two-round contest, players attempt to score as many points as possible from multiple 3-point locations within 70 seconds.  The top three scorers from the first round advance to the championship round, where the highest score determines the winner.

You can watch BP light it up from Los Angeles next Saturday at 4:00 p.m. Central time on NBC and Peacock.

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The Suns are a team that manipulates volume

PHOENIX, ARIZONA - FEBRUARY 07: Collin Gillespie #12 of the Phoenix Suns pressures Tyrese Maxey #0 of the Philadelphia 76ers during the second half at Mortgage Matchup Center on February 07, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Chris Coduto/Getty Images) | Getty Images

You know this by now: I love discovering and learning new things related to basketball or related to the Suns. I’ve already talked about it here, but once again, it’s a video from the Dreamcast Show that inspired me in the production of this article about maximizing possessions (a domain that is important in Jordan Ott’s playing philosophy).

This season, the Suns don’t win because they shoot better, but because they shoot more. Phoenix is not elite in shooting (15th in shooting efficiency this season), but Phoenix — and some of its players — is a team that manipulates the volume of play.

You know this: a possession is gained and preserved in three different ways.

First, by securing an offensive rebound. Phoenix grabs almost 13 offensive rebounds per game, with an Offensive Rebound% of 31%, which places them near the top of the league in that area. A possession is also gained by forcing a turnover, and Phoenix is also very well positioned in that category, ranking top 3 in steals per game (10.4), but also top 3 in Opponent Turnovers% with 17.1%. The quality of this team in these two areas is no longer in question, but what often hurts them is converting those opportunities (because of major shooting inconsistency).

Finally, it’s good to gain a possession, but it’s even better if it is preserved so you can attempt a shot. Here, the Suns are less good: 19th in offensive TOV% and 15.4 turnovers per game, which is huge for a team that creates so many “easy” situations.

To better visualize this possession gain, I imagined a small formula: (OREB/g + STL/g) – TOV/g — it’s not perfect science nor an absolute truth, but a trend indicator with a margin of error. And with this formula, the Suns gain on average +7.8 possessions per game.

For comparison, the best defensive team in the league, OKC, is at +6.3. Houston, who are the best offensive rebounders, are at +9.8. The Celtics, who are the team that loses the ball the least this season, are at +8.2. And finally, the Pistons, who are the most balanced team in this area, are at +7.8.

Phoenix doesn’t need to be perfect to win; they have a structural engine that gives them 6–10 extra possessions per game. But unfortunately, a big lack of shooting success on some nights places them in the Play‑in zone even though they generate as many extra possessions as the top‑3 teams.

But how is the team organized to generate so many extra possessions? Well, they rely on a clearly defined system and style of play: a constant physical presence in the dunker spot, combined with a sort of all‑in approach to maximize the chances of grabbing the offensive rebound. We can see it clearly in the action below: it starts with a pick and roll between Mark and Devin to swing the ball to Dillon in the corner, Booker positions himself in the dunker spot while the rest of the team comes to support him in that task. As a result, Embiid is focused on Devin Booker, which leaves Mark Williams free to do his job.

Then the team also relies on a super aggressive and oppressive defense that is not afraid to jump passing lanes or closeouts. The system is disruptive, which allows Phoenix to force many turnovers, like here against the Blazers: they try as much as possible to poke the ball loose (on passes or on-ball) while staying close to their matchup, Jordan Goodwin succeeds, and can go straight into transition.

Speaking of Jordan Goodwin, the wing ranks among the best in the league in this possession‑maximization profile. If we take the raw formula from earlier and standardize it per 100 possessions to make it more representative, Goodwin alone generates +5.2 extra possessions per 100 possessions. And that’s not all: among all players with +250 minutes this season (yes, that’s a lot of players…), Jordan Goodwin is the only one combining +7% OREB% and +2% TOV%. If there is one player whose value is underestimated, it’s him. At the end of the season, he should be one of the priorities when salary negotiations begin.

Phoenix doesn’t dominate through pure talent, but through volume. And it’s clear that the day efficiency matches intention, this team will move into another category.